OT: How is the GL2 in very HOT situations? (or XM2 in Grazieland)

Jsnkc wrote on 7/9/2004, 11:27 AM
I will be taping a concert at the NASCAR Race in Chicago this weekend. It's supposed to be in the upper 80's and very humid...I'd imagine the temp on the track where I will be, will be much higher than that, possibly in the upper 90's to 100.

Anything I need to be worried about apart from condensation on the heads?

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 7/9/2004, 11:34 AM
Worry more about humidity than heat. Keep your tapes in a dry bag, this is the bigger concern. As far as heat, the military has a number of GL2's covered with camo, that are being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'd not worry about it. We have normal days here that are over 100, sometimes 115 in August. I've shot fires and fire helicopters in this sort of heat on an XL and GL both. No worries.
Grazie wrote on 7/9/2004, 2:53 PM
BUT! If you reeeeally wanna be sure you HAVE to have me to assist you. Wire me the ticket to fly over from the UK and I'll do my best for you . I'll bring my own XM2 too . . ;-)

Yes, humidity is the real fun stopper . .. whatch out when you go from air conditioning situation to outside . . some very difficult things can occur. Solution? Hmmm... hard one this . .

Grazie
Jsnkc wrote on 7/9/2004, 2:57 PM
I wish I could, I could use another shooter. Right now I get to operate 3 cameras by myself! Security has been so tight for this event though. It's unbelievable all the hoops I have to jump through just to get in this place with a camera and shoot a local band! I wouldn't be surprized if they ask me for fingerprints and a blood sample when I get there before they let me in!
ScottW wrote on 7/9/2004, 3:54 PM
To add to what Spot suggested, I would say also allow the camera time to come up to temp. When I had my GL2 at Disney World last year (and it was pretty warm and humid a few of the days) going from the hotel room to the outside usually mean about an hour or more before the camera would quit complaining about "moisture detected" (or whatever it was saying on the display).

--Scott
farss wrote on 7/9/2004, 4:43 PM
One way to deal with the condensation issue is keep the camera in a Pelican case with a few bags of silica in it.
The problem starts when you've got a camera full of humid air and then you drop the temperature below the dew point. The water vapour turns to, well water. Get the water out of the air to start with is a big help. Extremely low temperatures are the biggest problem as battery capacity also starts to drop. I've heard of film shoots where the cameraman had to keep his batteries inside his thermals and no, it wasn't to impress the PAs!
apit34356 wrote on 7/9/2004, 9:21 PM
A cheap and fast way is just use to a blow dryer, al low temp, low volume, to warm up the insides of the camera, same for tapes before going outside. Watch out for dust, use a simple foam filter on the back of blow dryer.
efiebke wrote on 7/9/2004, 11:06 PM
I, too, was concerned about this very problem with the GL2 and heat/humidity. A few weeks ago, I spent several days in Florida shooting tons of waterfront shots. (I live in New York. Father lives in Florida.) Did the best I could to keep the tapes dry from the humidity. Much to my pleasant surprise, I encountered no problems.

Just a quick aside. I went down to Florida to visit my father. I gave him a MiniDV camera and Sony's Screenblast Movie Studio and Screenblast Sound Forge 7. I know that both programs are "watered down" versions of Vegas and the regular Sound Forge 7 programs. However, there's a lot to these "water down" versions! We spent a lovely "dad and lad" time editing the waterfront shots mentioned above using his programs. (Sailboat and motor boat shots, sun set shots, birds in water, people fishing and swiming, etc..) I must say that our little project came out just fine!

We decided to call ourselves, "Dad and Lad Productions"! LOL! :)

Ted
vicmilt wrote on 7/10/2004, 1:07 PM
(if it's not too late...)
just don't take your cameras inside any air conditioned space (including the car), and you'll be fine.

aside (so what's a guy from England (Grazie) know about Heat?? I was there when it was 72 degrees in October, and the newspapers headlined, "HEAT WAVE CONTINUES"... :>)

(NO insults intended... I love reading Grazie's stuff and am hoping his great sense of humor continues here...)
Jsnkc wrote on 7/10/2004, 6:41 PM
I just arrived in chicago...I love hotel rooms with hot tubs in them...and free internet access:) Even better when someone else is paying for it!
It doesn't seem quite as hot as was expected, but I still plan to let it sit outside for a little bit before I turn it on so it can get accustomed to the temperature and humidity. Thanks for all the tips guys, hopefully the shoot will go well tomorrow.
epirb wrote on 7/10/2004, 7:23 PM
ahh so the REAL reason for the question is your shooting Hot Tub scenes eh? Temp/ Humidity
Hotel 71,Playboy Mansion maybe.........
Grazie wrote on 7/10/2004, 11:12 PM
Ah . .so wotz a Guy coming to the UK and NOT getting in touch with this Funster!?!?!?! HMMMM YES? A Reply is COMPULSORY - vicmilt ! Otherwise I shall be seeking SATISFACTION on the fields of Hyde PArk - don't yer know!?!?! WHat What! . .. ..

.. okay I've been rumbled . . However we do get "reverse" humidity effects. Coming in from a bright dry cold day into a moist environment . . . Take a cold beer outta the fridge .. can you do that? gooood . .Now watch the condensation appear on the outside - not the inside of the can, 'cos, like, that's already wet yeah? With the beer and all? - Yeah?

. . . Ah, what it is to be lumbered with a sense of humour . . . sorry, gotta lie down now . . my genius has worn me out too much .. . what a cross I bear . . . "Oh .. The Humour . .The Humour .. . "

Grazie . .. . . ;-)